


Crimson Eyes

by Samarii



Category: Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six (Video Games)
Genre: Awkward Tension, Crushes, Drama & Romance, Hate to Love, M/M, Operation: Outbreak, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-10
Updated: 2020-11-12
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:33:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,991
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27487345
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Samarii/pseuds/Samarii
Summary: Doc is sent out on a mission with the newest operator Lion to clear out a nest of Roaches but when Lion ends up getting infected with the Chimera Virus, Doc proposes a dangerous plan to the other operators.
Relationships: Olivier "Lion" Flament/Gustave "Doc" Kateb
Comments: 3
Kudos: 46





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Guess who's posting their Halloween story late? You guessed it, I am! ^^;  
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy this little story featuring one of my favorite parings from this game!

The doctor slipped into the tent with quiet determination on a full moon summer night. Gathered around the table was Ash, Thermite, Lion, Kapkan, and Blitz. The group stared soundlessly in different places, some at their shoes, others at the wall opposite of them. They all held dark circles under their eyes from barely any sleep over the past few weeks, not able to get any shut eye while a strange red plague, if you can call it that, spread across their home planet.

Once Doc entered the tent, their gazes flicked over to him instantly, then over to each other, clearly ready for someone to begin talking. Ash stepped up to the table and rested both hands on its surface, “thank you all for coming on such short notice. I know we thought we were going to get a break for sleep, but we’ve received intel that a swarm is moving into a new area. We need to stop it before it creates a new nest and creates an even bigger problem,” she looks over the group to makes sure she was being understood.

With no retorts, she continues, “I brought you all here to form a group to take out this swarm. We will break off into groups of two and sweep the area in a grid-like fashion then rendezvous back where we first split off. I’ve copied maps for you all to keep on you in case you get lost or pinned down, so you can call for help if needed.” She hands a small box to Thermite who takes a map out and passes it off to the next operator. Doc takes the last map and sets the empty box by the table.

“The groups will be me and Thermite, Kapkan and Blitz,” Doc’s heart sank as he listened, “and Lion and Doc.” The Frenchman had to keep himself from groaning. He couldn’t stand that arrogant asshole. He was the newest member to team Rainbow and the little he had interacted with him already left a sour taste in Doc’s mouth. He was cocky, arrogant, and had too much of a temper. Working with him on this mission will surely be a nightmare, Doc thought to himself.

“You have twenty minutes to full prepare yourselves and study the maps. Meet at the camp entrance when you’re ready. See you then.” Ash instructed everyone, then grabbed her map and turned to Thermite. Kapkan and Blitz met outside the tent and went off to grab the rest of their gear. Doc, still mulling over how he will deal with Lion, didn’t notice the tall man was already standing next to him.

“Well? Are we going to go get ready or what?” The ginger asked in a snarky tone down at the other man. 

Doc glared up at him and folded up his map, “yes, we are. This way.” Doc left the tent, not waiting for Lion to catch up to him. The two returned to their tents, put on their full gear, and met outside Doc’s tent. “Did you look over the map? We need to be familiar with it so we don’t get lost.”

Lion rolled his eyes, “yes, I heard what Ash said and yes I studied it. I have it under control.” He snipped at the medic.

Doc glared up at him, “you say that, but if you wander off because you think the know the way and get separated from me, I’m not saving your ass.”

“Harsh words coming from a doctor, don’t you think? Doesn’t your job entail you doing the exact opposite of that?” Lion retorted, a smirk playing across his lips.

Doc snorted and turned away to look at his map some more. He didn’t have time for such childishness coming from that man. He felt Lion hovering over his shoulder, clearly looking over his map and couldn’t help but smirk quietly to himself, ‘so he didn’t study it. Arrogant prick,’ he thought.

The two met up with the others at the gate once their ready time was up, jumping into the military truck along with everyone else. Lion sat down next to the other Frenchman, a little too close for comfort. Doc tried to scoot over to create more room, but Lion just moved right over with him. Sighing, the doctor gave up and rested his head against the wall behind him. He closed his eyes and thought over the coming mission. He thought it a fairly small team for a supposed swarm, especially if they’ve reached a village and created even more crimson devils to deal with. He imagined meeting at the rendezvous to see a critically wounded Kapkan, Ash with a terrible head wound, and Lion coughing up blood. He quickly opened his eyes and scrubbed his mind of such terrible thoughts. He can’t afford to think like that, it does no good. 

Lion glanced down at the other man and raised an eyebrow, “bad dream or something?”

Doc glanced up at him and once again thoughts of him badly wounded flashed through his mind. He cleared them and clenched his jaw, shaking his head. The taller man sighed, “don’t look to worried, you’ve gone on several of these purges already and everything turned out fine in the end. Wounds heal, my friend.”

“These _things_ can cause more than wounds, ‘my friend.’” Doc mocked Lion through a grumble, crossing his arms and leaning back against the vehicle wall again. Lion rolled his eyes and sighed, giving up on trying to reassure his fellow operator.

The rest of the ride was filled with silence as the team mentally prepared themselves for the battle to come. Sure, Lion was right about the team coming out unscathed from these purges so far, but that streak had to end eventually, Doc thought. And unlike normal skirmishes with the White Masks back home, these creatures could infect them and turn them against their own teammates. The thought of becoming such a beast sent a shiver down Gustave’s spine. He mentally made a deal with himself that if he were infected, he would shoot himself before he lost his humanity. Better to be dead than turning into one of them. He also debated if he should do the same to his fellow operators if it came to that. Should he put them down before they attack? Would they ask him to do it? What if they don’t want him to? Doc buried the questions before his brain could start filling in answers he didn’t want to hear.

The group finally arrived at the location, hopping out of the truck one by one. Ash rallied everyone together and slipped on her mask, “remember to sweep in a grid-like fashion, stay close together, and refer to your maps when needed. Meet back here when the area is cleared. Good luck to all of you.”

Doc inhaled and put on his mask, turning to Lion to see that he was also ready. The two turned on their flashlights and started off in their own direction away from the other two groups. The two men made their way into a building that appeared to be an old house. Lion took the lead, sweeping through each room and listening closely for any sounds of the crying, grunts, or anything worse. Doc kept a close eye behind him and double checked a few spots after Lion had swept through them. Something was telling him to be extra cautious this time and he didn’t hesitate to do so.

Finding nothing in the house, the two went out the back door to move on to the next property. As they did, they came across a broken playset and toys strewn about the lawn. Lion stopped to stare down at a partly deflated soccer ball covered in dirt. He slightly lowered his weapon and let his shoulders drop. Doc approached from behind and glanced around. “Lion, what are you doing, we need to keep moving. This is no time to mess around with toys.”

The ginger raised his weapon and turned to Doc, “yes, I know. Let’s go.” Doc furrowed his eyebrows but said nothing while he followed along. Was Lion upset that children most likely died here? Of course, anyone would be, death of the innocent is always a tragedy, but Gustave didn’t take the other Frenchman as an openly sympathetic type. Yet he clearly looked upset when he found the broken playset and toys. Something then began to open in Doc’s chest for Lion; a shred of respect had formed for the tall ginger man.

The two Frenchmen swept through the next house, clearing out a few grunts before they morphed into their more dangerous form and were lucky to not find any more dangerous Roaches. The two continued this pattern of sweep and take down for several more buildings before entering what appeared to be a small school. They started in the cafeteria by the front doors and made their way through each classroom down the halls. The school, set up like a square, provided little means to hide since sounds could be heard in adjoining rooms. To make themselves quieter, they took to sneaking and melee killing the grunts from behind as to not warn any potentially nearby with their gunshots.

As the pair began their sweep of the last hallway, Lion stopped short in front of Doc. Doc halted and tensed up, swiftly searching behind and around him for any hostiles. Finding none, he looked over at Lion, “what’s wrong?” he whispered. Lion made a small step to the side to allow Gustave to see in front. Ahead of them was a Breacher crouched on the ground in its undisturbed state. Doc mumbled choice words under his breath and slowly raised his weapon. Lion raised his hand to tell him to stop, earning a confused look from the other man. Lion pointed behind the Breacher to point out a few grunts that were lingering further down the hall. He was signaling to Gustave that if he shot the Breacher, it would alert the grunts and cause them to morph.

The doctor shook his head, meaning to tell Lion he was unsure what to do. Lion grabbed the other man’s arm and pulled him into the nearest classroom, “this school is just a square, we can go around the other side and take out the grunts first when they’re at their weakest. Then taking out the single Breacher will be much easier. You with me?” Lion inquired, staring down at Doc with determined eyes. Doc was taken aback by his sudden role of leadership. This whole time, Gustave thought Lion to be impulsive and only fighting for himself, yet when a difficult path had approached him, he thought it out methodically and even asked for the other’s input.

“Doc, we don’t have time for a staring contest.” Lion interrupted the doctor’s thoughts. Even though he was wearing a mask, the doctor knew he was now frowning behind it.

“I—right, I’m sorry. I agree with your plan, let’s go.” He replied.

The two snuck out of the room and turned back the way they came, treading all the way around to the other side. There, they came face to face with the grunts Lion had spotted. Unfortunately, there were three grunts very close together and neither operator could take out the last one before she mutated.

Growing longer spikes and now sporting claw-like tendrils from her hands, she screamed and sprinted closer to the two men. Lion braced, lifting his weapon and firing for her head and chest. A few bullets hit their mark, but it wasn’t enough to stop the creature. Lion continued to hold the trigger down only to find his magazine was now empty. “Fuck!” he shouted, stepping back to switch out the ammunition. As he did, Doc took his place and fired upon on the screaming grunt. His bullets ripped into her head, tearing off pieces along with them, finally getting through to the vulnerable brain beneath. The grunt groaned and tripped, collapsing just a few feet from the two Frenchman.

Lion, having finished reloading, let out a breath he didn’t know he had been holding. Doc panted lightly as adrenaline flowed through his veins. Had he missed his mark, the grunt would have torn into Gustave with ease. The two men looked at each other and nodded before continuing down the hall to take out the Breacher. Just as they thought, it had heard the shots from the fight with the grunts and was making its way over to them. Lion didn’t hesitate to lift his weapon and aim for the infected spines on its back, causing the creature to explode before it reached them.

The two operators stood in silence, tense, and not lowering their weapons. They stood back to back, watching for any movement—any sound—that would imply more Roaches. Several minutes passed before Lion finally let a sigh of relief leave his lips and lowered his weapon. Doc then did the same, looking up at the ginger, “your plan worked.”

“You doubted me?” Lion teased, the wrinkles around his eyes telling the doctor that he was grinning in his mask.

“No. Not for a second. I am just…surprised at your competence.” The other Frenchman explained.

Lion’s grin turned to furrowed brows, “you don’t think I’m capable of strategizing? How the hell do you think I earned a spot in Rainbow, Gustave?” he hissed, now becoming angry.

“We’re not perfect soldiers, Olivier, every one of us has flaws in our battle strategies and personalities. You not being able to strategize isn’t a dealbreaker for Rainbow.” Doc retorted,

Lion scoffed then let out a dry laugh, “I can’t believe this. My own teammate doesn’t have faith in me. You don’t think I belong with Rainbow, is that it? Go ahead, tell me I’m worthless, that I don’t belong!” He growled. After Olivier’s vent, he was met with a strike across his face from Doc. Lion blinked, turning his head back to stare at the medic, trying his best to ignore the throbbing pain forming on his face behind the mask.

“I was under the impression you were too selfish. I thought you would rush in and never give a second thought. However, after seeing you handle the mission thus far, I now know that I was wrong. In combat, you’re a trustworthy partner and I shouldn’t have underestimated you.” Gustave held out his gloved hand to the other man, “I’m sorry, Lion.”

The ginger stared down at his hand, in shock of Doc’s praise. He slowly reached out his own hand and shook the other man’s before returning it to his side. Unsure of what to say, he cleared his throat and checked his weapon.

“Now, outside of combat, I still think you’re an ass. Don’t forget that.” Doc added suddenly, using a half teasing tone.

Lion chuckled and nodded in understanding, “I won’t forget that, you dick. Now let’s finish this so we can go get some sleep.” The men left the school and made their way out into the desolate street, quickly checking their map for the next location to clear out. As they did, a dreadful screech could be heard from back at the school. Olivier and Gustave turned around, readying their weapons for the enemy. On the roof of the school, a red shape appeared from thin air, looking down at the pair with a snarl.

“Fuck, a Rooter. That bitch must have heard us take out the Breacher in there.” Lion growled. The doctor watched the rooter closely as she stared back with deep red eyes. The Rooter made the first move as she hurled a spike at the two men. They both dived off to the side just as it made contact with the pavement by their feet. Lion aimed and took fire at the creature as she scurried across the roof to a different spot. He landed a few hits, but it didn’t slow the crimson beast at all.

The Rooter, aware of the hits it had taken, teleported from its spot and reappeared on the ground at the front of the school. She launched another spike meant for Doc who ran from the strike zone and hid behind a flipped car. Lion had taken shelter behind a large slab of uprooted concrete about twenty yards away from the doctor. The two made eye contact from their cover and nodded, silently agreeing to fire at the same time. They appeared from their cover, shooting where the Rooter stood. She took several more hits, now clearly losing energy but not dead yet. Now enraged, the creature teleported back to the roof and launched several spikes at Lion and Doc’s hiding places.

The spikes missed but destroyed part of Doc’s protection. Seeing the opportunity, the Rooter teleported again, this time appearing in front of where the Frenchman was taking cover. Doc swore and fired again, aiming for her head as best he could. Two bullets hit their mark but still the creature did not die. She screamed and started toward Doc but only took a few steps before being interrupted from a grenade thrown by Lion. She noticed it in the last second, teleporting away from the otherwise deadly blast and appearing by the Frenchman. Olivier turned and opened fire on the crimson devil, hoping to have an advantage for how close she was to him. What he did not realize is that she was a little too close.

Doc attempted to shoot the beast from his position only to find his magazine now empty and out of spare ammo. He let out a choice word and watched helplessly at his fellow operator. The Rooter squealed, dodging to the side to avoid Lion’s line of fire before teleporting closer and driving her spike arm through his thigh. Lion screamed in pain, recoiling for a moment before lifting her weapon and aiming right at her head. He emptied the magazine into her, not letting go of the trigger until she finally let out one final wail before slumping over to the side.

Gustave, seeing Lion had killed it, bolted over to his teammate and pulled the body away from the ginger. He took out his small first aid kit to begin tending to the fresh wound, but Lion grabbed his hand before he could apply anything, “stop, Gustave, it’s pointless. I’m clearly infected. You’re…you’re going to have to leave me.” He stared up at Doc, his eyes filled with pain, fear, and what Doc thought was a hint of sadness.

“Nonsense, infection rate isn’t one hundred percent, if I treat it quickly, perhaps I can kill the virus before it spreads—” he was cut off as Lion shoved his weapon into the doctor’s lap.

“It won’t work, you know that. You only have one option here, Gustave. You have to kill me before I become one of them.” Lion replied defeatedly.

Doc suddenly felt the world crumble away around him. He stared at Lion then down at the weapon then back up at Lion. His worst fear had come true. He was going to have to kill Lion. The doctor opened his mouth to retort but could find nothing to say. He could just leave him here, sure, but that would mean he would turn, and the team would most likely come across him later and kill him anyway.

The medical side of him wanted to treat the wound regardless, maybe for whatever reason he wouldn’t catch the virus and he would recover just fine. However, Gustave knew better than that. What if they took him back and put him in containment? A dark thought surfaced in his mind. The virus took time to progress, he could be treated in a sealed-off room and even if they couldn’t save him, he could reveal valuable information about how the virus worked and how to begin formulating a cure.

“Doc? What are you doing? Nothing will work, how many times do I have to tell you, dammit.” Lion barked, becoming more distraught.

“What if I took you back? We could seal you off and study you.” Doc asked abruptly.

“What? Like some fucking lab rat? You’ve got to be telling a sick joke.” Lion snarled.

“I know, I know, but think about it. We haven’t been able to see the transformation from start to finish. Studying how it progresses from infancy like this could help us figure out how to beat it. If you’re dead anyway, why not?” Doc explained. Of course he wanted to hope that something would become of his study, but another very small part of him wanted to get to know Lion more after this mission. Now that he had a glimpse under the arrogance, he longed to spend more time with him. What was he saying, he barely knew him, that was a stupid and selfish reason for making him suffer in a study that might not even be worth the risk. Why was he attracted to this man, especially now that he has one foot in the grave like this?

“Doc, I don’t know about that. What if I turn into one of those Breachers and seriously injure some of the other operators when I self-destruct? What if I turn into a Smasher and destroy the facility, probably killing people along the way? Would you find that worth it for your stupid research?” Lion hissed, become more and more angry as the minutes crawled by. As desperately as he wanted to beat this virus and not lose himself to the infection, he knew it impossible. He was doomed just like the residents of this village and just like all those before it.

Doc was at a loss for words. Lion was right, he knew this, but he still didn’t want to give up on his fellow operator so easily. After a long period of silence, the doctor spoke, “I will take that risk. I will be there to monitor you the entire time. In fact, I will set up a cot in the area we contain you in so I will be there if, and when, things turn bad. If I think you’re becoming too unstable, I’ll—” he pauses, clenching his jaw then swallowing, “I’ll put you down myself.”

Lion looked down at his leg wound, “put me down. Ha. Like a fucking animal.” He turned his head to the side in defeat, “do what you want, I’m done arguing. If you want to risk yourself for this, then fine. I’ll be there in the afterlife to tell you ‘I told you so’ when my infected ass tears you apart.” The other Frenchman slowly nodded, settling on his extremely risky decision they had concluded on. As the doctor helped the ginger walk back to the rendezvous point, he practiced what to say to the others upon their return. He knew that the others wouldn’t like the idea, they would be angry with the two of them and argue over Lion’s fate. He would convince them, Doc thought to himself, he would no matter what.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the next chapter all finished! I rewrote this so many times until I finally settled with a plot direction I liked. Anonymous shout out to my friend who helped me find my way with this chapter!

When the two Frenchman made it to the rendezvous point, the rest of the squad was already there. Everyone looked okay, nothing beyond some scuffs, some minor bleeding, and feeling utterly exhausted. Ash looked to Doc then over to Lion, and in seeing his wounded leg, she and Blitz ran over to help support Lion as the pair approached the group.

“What the hell happened to you?” Blitz asked, his voice filled with concern but also a tinge of anger.

“A rooter got him; snuck up while we were hiding behind cover.” Doc replied slowly, dreading their responses. Ash and Blitz stopped walking with Lion and stared at Doc. Meanwhile the other operators walked closer to see what the problem was.

“He…was…what?” Ash asked slowly, curling her lips into a snarl. Blitz nervously glanced over Lion before looking to his other teammates.

“He is most likely infected—” Doc started.

“Yeah, no shit, why did you take him all the way back with you?” Thermite yelled.

“Was he supposed to just leave him there?” Blitz chimed in.

“Yes, he was! If he was extra generous, he would have put a bullet between his eyes.” Thermite retorted, glaring daggers into Lion, who stared right back with a blank look on his face.

“Infected or not, he is our teammate, Thermite. It would do you well to remember that.” Kapkan added, glaring at Thermite but also giving Lion a suspicious glance.

“Kapkan and Thermite both have valid points here,” Ash chimed in, “what’s left is to decide what happens next.” She turned her head, staring at Lion and waiting for his own input on the situation. It was his life they were talking about, after all.

Lion ignored Ash’s stare, instead choosing to drill his gaze into the horizon line, “Doc has a plan for me,” he said, almost mockingly. The entire group moved their attention to the French doctor, an intense silence falling over them.

Doc cleared his throat, “I have decided to take him back to base and place him in a contained area for research on the life cycle of the virus. I feel that a fresh infection such as this is a very rare opportunity that could lead to some promising results.”

“So, taking out the fancy smart person talk, you want us to take this soon-to-be roach to our base of operations just to watch him turn into one of those things? Like a fish in a bowl?” Thermite summarized, crossing his arms.

“Yes. We already have a secure building next to our operator tents that we can use for the containment. I also elected to set up my own sleeping station by his holding so I will be there at all times. If I sense even a hint of danger, I will…take his life.” Gustave explained, watching Lion closely. He felt a large pang of guilt fill his chest. He talked as if Lion had no sense of free will anymore, that his life was now owned by Doc. Lion slowly lowered his head, now avoiding eye contact with the doctor, defeated.

“I don’t know about this.” Blitz said. He looked to Ash to wait for her opinion.

The woman sighed heavily, “I don’t really like it either, but if studying him means finding a way to beat this damned alien disease, then so be it. Come on, let’s get back quickly.” No further retorts were heard from the group, though their thoughts were still filled with distrust of Olivier. Lion didn’t blame them. He was turning into a monster.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Back at the camp, the other operators left their tents to see the team as they returned home. Ash and Blitz took Lion to the building where he would be held while Doc tended to the minor wounds of the other operators from the mission. Word already begun to spread of Lion being infected and how he was to be housed as a lab rat for Doc to watch. The news soon turned into horrifying rumors about how Doc let Lion get attacked on purpose just so he could watch him suffer like this. Others said that Lion took the hit for Doc because he secretly loved him and would rather die than see his lover turn into a monster. Completely ridiculous they all were, Doc thought. 

Once all the operators were tended to, Gustave made his way to the building to see how the containment preparations were getting along. Inside the building and down a small hallway, the team had found a large room to act as the holding cell. With the help of all the operators and some advanced DIY, the group managed to create a hole in the wall between the cell and the adjoining room to act as a viewing point for Doc. They placed a thick plastic sheet into the opening as a cover, so the hole was not directly connected. Calling in a special order from HQ, they also set up a speaker system so the two could talk to each other from each room if needed.

In Lion’s room, they set up a bed, a toilet, and a sink from extra supplies left from setting up the operator tents. They also left him books, magazines, a deck of cards, and his CD player so he could keep himself occupied while the virus was in its infancy. That is, while he still had his sanity. Doc moved his furnishings and supplies to the observation room, organizing them in such a way that he could always have a clear view of Lion. Once satisfied with the set up, he met Ash and Thermite outside the observation room to wrap up the process. Lion was already settled in his chamber, a fresh wrap around his wound courtesy of Doc. They had agreed to leave him extra medical supplies to redress the room as to avoid Doc having to expose himself to the virus within his fellow operator.

Ash looked to Doc then over at Lion, who was leaning uncomfortably against the wall by the door, “well, this is it, it seems. Everything is set up and in working order. Security measures have been taken for when he reaches the later stages as well as an emergency,” she cleared her throat nervously before continuing, “termination system installed in case it’s needed.”

“I’ve set passive charges above his chamber that are hooked to this button over here at the end of the hall close to the front doors. Just flick this safety cover off and push that baby down to set off the charges. Last case scenario only, of course.” Thermite flashed a dry grin. Meanwhile, Lion let out a scoff.

Gustave nodded, “thank you for your help. And…thank you for trusting me with this.” The three then turned to Lion, who watched the floor at his feet.

“Sorry this is how it had to end, buddy.” Thermite said, sadness filling his voice.

Ash offered a sympathetic smile and nodded once, “you’ll live on through Doc’s research. No matter the outcome, you’ll be talked about in medical books for a whole new generation of medical personnel.” Lion continued to avoid eye contact, clenching his jaw.

Doc stepped over in front of the ginger and held out his hand. He felt as if he should say something like the others did, but his mind turned up blank. No words of farewell, no inspiring speech, not even a sincere apology. Lion slowly raised his head and drilled his gaze into the other Frenchman’s hand. Slowly, he reached out his own and gently gripped it in a handshake. Doc cleared his throat and nodded, gripping it in return before dropping his hand back to his side. As he did, he glanced up at the taller man’s face, studying it closely. His mouth was pressed into a thin line, not showing off much emotion, but his eyes said very much otherwise. They were a mixture of anguish, fury, disgust, and so much more. It was clear that there was so much swirling in the man’s head, but there was no way to release it. He was a dead man walking, he knew that much, and having to drag out his death like this was like putting a nail in his coffin one day at a time.

Gustave stepped away from the doorframe which prompted Ash to slowly close it in response. She ceiled it with the large lock they had installed into it. The woman turned to Doc and set a key card in his hand, “if for whatever reason you need to go into his containment, use this to open the lock. We have a spare hidden as well in case this one gets lost or something else happens. I’m assuming you also understand that you’ll basically be living in here during the research. We’ll drop a box of supplies inside the front door every Monday, but other than that, no contact other than the radio we’ve placed in your room.”

Doc listened patiently then nodded once she finished, “thank you. And do take care of each other while I’m cooped up in here. No experimental medical aid while I’m gone, just call in an actual medic if you end up needing one.” He said, half joking, but also half serious. The two Americans laughed and bid him farewell, disappearing down the hall to leave the building. The Frenchman sighed as they left, entering his room and stretching as he did so. He turned to look through the observation glass, curious as to what Lion was up to.

The ginger was currently sitting on his bed, elbows rested on his knees, staring at the ground beneath him. Doc walked closer to the window and pressed the speaker button, “testing, can you hear me? Say so, if yes.” The other man slowly lifted his head and nodded but said no words. Doc nodded back, “excellent, that is good to hear. Just so you know, your speaker is always active, so mind what you say or do in there because I can hear it.”

“What, are you afraid my screaming fits will wake you up in the middle of the night while the virus takes over my brain? How inconvenient for you.” Lion suddenly snaps.

Doc blinked, genuinely taken back by the sudden aggression. He made a mental note to record it in his notes that the virus may be causing this aggressiveness. “No, I just meant—” he shook his head, “never mind.” He let go of the speaker button and moved to his desk to begin a journal for notes, thoughts, and whatever else he deemed important to document. The rest of the day moved on without much of interest. Lion talked very little, mainly mumbling to himself as he listened to his music, or a cough or sneeze.

As the sun slipped behind the horizon, the two settled into their beds for the night. Doc heard Lion let out a deep sigh as he made himself comfortable. Without warning, however, the ginger began to talk, “I just wanted to tell you that me getting attacked wasn’t your fault. I don’t care how mushy, random, or stupid that might sound, but I want to get it through your head. I don’t know why but I just feel that you blame yourself for this mess, but don’t. You were right, I was reckless out there and now I’m paying the price. I guess I just wanted to prove myself or something. I doubt you know this, but I have a son. I don’t get to see him much, but he fuels everything I do, every time I go out into the field, I fight for him. I suppose not anymore that is. Fuck why am I even saying all this.”

Doc slowly sat up and stared into the darkness as he listened. He thought over everything Lion had said then stood and made his way over to the microphone, “it’s alright. I’m glad you shared it. I haven’t exactly gotten to know you for who you are until now. I understand why you looked to upset when we came across that playset and toys in the back yard of that house. It made you think of your son.”

There was a pause before Lion replied, “yeah it did.” Another pause, “tomorrow I want to write a letter to him. I’ll tell you what to say while you write it. Can we do that?” He asked, almost sounding embarrassed at the request.

“Of course, Olivier, I would be honored to write it for you. For now, however, let’s sleep.”

“Right. Goodnight.” The ginger replied.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next day, Doc kept his word and helped Olivier write a letter to his son. He then told Doc to save it, choosing to not send it until he was too far gone. Confused by this request, Doc held onto it regardless. The week crept onward, very mellow and quiet. Lion’s wound was healing surprisingly fast but at the same time he expressed feeling weak and tired.

About a week and a half into the study Lion began to change. He acted twitchy and on edge, as if something was out to get him at every moment. Doc learned to speak slowly and calmly to the other man, not wanting to potentially cause an outburst from his subject. Other than the extreme anxiety, Lion acted normal. He would eat, sleep, and talk to Doc about almost anything. At the two week mark, Gustave noticed a faint red forming in Lion’s eyes. It was subtle but it was there. The twitchiness faded as well.

“It had to be me, right? The newest member, still fresh to the group, someone you don’t quite give a shit about yet. Could you imagine how torn up the group would have been if Thermite was the one who got infected instead? They would have moved heaven and hell to find a way to cure him, I’m sure. Not me.” Lion as on one of his emotional rants again. Doc had become used to them over the past two weeks, open to hearing the other man spill his thoughts. It was the least he could do for him—let him empty his head like this.

“You know, the others did discuss an idea to fly you to a high-end medical facility instead of staying here. They thought having access to the most cutting-edge technology could help you. The only reason we scrapped the idea was we were afraid it still wouldn’t work, and you would infect the entire hospital, causing another outbreak there.” Doc chimed in.

Lion lifted his head, “they did? They wanted to send me to a medical team like that?”

“Indeed.”

“Liar.” He growled, standing from his bed.

Doc raised an eyebrow at him through the glass, “and just why would I lie about that? To comfort you?”

“To keep me calm, maybe. You already think I’m a monster, I can tell.” Lion disputed.

“That’s not true—”

“Bullshit! Stop lying, just stop. I bet you’re doing this just as a sick joke. Your last bit of fun toying with me before this virus destroys me.” Lion spouted.

“Enough! I would never do that to you, nor to anyone. How dare you think I would torture another human being like that.” Gustave snarled, gripping his notebook tightly.

“Isn’t that what you’re doing right now? Torturing me by keeping me alive like this?” Lion retorted.

Doc kept his mouth closed. In a way, Lion was right. If he wanted to give Lion peace, he would have killed him as soon as he was wounded.

“So why are you doing this? Why do you want to keep me like this?” Lion asked, his voice almost sounding like a whimper.

“I--. I don’t know. I keep telling myself it’s for research, to help find a cure if I can watch the disease evolve in you, but I don’t know if that’s true anymore. I don’t know what I want.” Doc admitted, his voice starting to break. Meanwhile, Lion moved closer to the glass, watching the doctor closely.

“You know, if you wanted to be close to me, you could have just asked to spend time with me.” Lion asked suddenly, surprising the other man with his very forward statement. Did Lion think Doc had a crush on him? Preposterous, Doc thought to himself.

“What? What are you—no, I don’t like you like that, Olivier.” Doc retorted, his face growing red nonetheless.

Lion tilted his head slightly to the side, “alright then.” From this close, Doc could more clearly see the ginger’s face. His eyes looked tired and his cheeks starting to lose their color. Doc then noticed Lion’s deep red eyes that had replaced his brown ones. They were piercing, intimidating, and Doc felt as if they knew everything about him in one glance, even things he didn’t know about himself.

Gustave blinked and took a small step away from the glass, feeling uncomfortable with the tension rising between the two of them. But Lion didn’t back away. He stayed close to the glass, watching the doctor intensely. “Do you really think there is a cure? Could I be the answer? Even if I am, could it save me, or do I have to die for the cure to finally be made?”

Lion bombarded the other man with questions, questions nearly impossible for Doc to answer. Could he get the cure and still safe Lion’s life? Of course that would be what Doc wanted but it was an entirely different issue of whether it could be done. Once Gustave realized he had been staring at the other man for some time now, he sucked in a breath and spoke, “I don’t know, Olivier. I’m sorry. I don’t want to give you any false hope.”

“Don’t worry, I don’t have any of that anyway, regardless of your answer.” Lion answered solemnly. “Just make sure that if you make a cure, my son gets it, alright?”

Doc opened his mouth slightly, feeling a rush of feelings of all kinds fill his chest. He couldn’t exactly explain what he was feeling but it was there that he knew that he had grown attached to the other Frenchman. He declared that he cared deeply for him and that he would do anything to cure him of this forsaken disease.

“Olivier,” the man said abruptly, “I’ll make a cure and save your life. I promise.”

The sudden switch of attitude made Lion blink in surprise, but a small smile bloomed on his face regardless, “I’ll hold that against you, Gustave, you hear?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven't started on the last chapter for this yet, so I plan to have it published this weekend. I hope you enjoyed this chapter!  
> Take care!

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading, more to come soon!


End file.
